Two seawater greenhouses planned in Southern Iran

The Vice Presidential Office for Science and Technology plans to establish two seawater greenhouses alongside Iran's southern coastline in the current fiscal year that started on March 21.

According to Jahangir Pourhemmat, an official with the Vice Presidential Office, the construction of seawater greenhouses on the coastline of Bushehr Province and Makran in Sistan-Baluchestan Province is high on the agenda, Mehr News Agency reported.

"The environmental situation in the target areas is suitable for growing vegetables and tropical fruits," he said.

A seawater greenhouse enables the growth of crops in arid regions, using seawater and solar energy. The greenhouse uses the sun, the sea and the atmosphere to produce freshwater and cool air. The process recreates the natural hydrological cycle within a controlled environment.

Further explaining the mechanism of such greenhouses, Pourhemmat said the process involves pumping seawater to an arid location and then subjecting it to two processes. First, it is used to humidify and cool the air, and second, it is evaporated by solar heating and distilled to produce freshwater.

“The greenhouses will be set up in a 400-square-meter area. Preliminary field studies are still underway to locate the best spot for implementing the project,” he said.

Pourhemmat noted that the untapped potential and smart solutions offered by tech firms and startups will definitely come in handy in executing the project.

"We are doing our best to supply equipment from local tech firms," he said.